Everybody needs a good laugh once in a while. And a good book that can make you really, seriously shriek with laughter is a treasure. Books that will make you laugh is the theme of this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, so here’s some that have done it for me.
Now, I could easily have just written “P.G. Wodehouse” ten times and left it at that. Picking up a Wodehouse book is practically a guarantee of laughter. But I wanted to include a little variety on this list, so I’ve contented myself by bookending it with Wodehouse titles.
Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
This was my first taste of Wodehouse, and I still rank it as one of the funniest—if not the funniest—books I’ve ever read.
Once On a Time by A.A. Milne
Milne’s writing for adults is every bit as delightful as his writing for children, and this cheerful send-up of the classic fairytale is absolutely hilarious. Also in the running for funniest book I’ve ever read.
High Rising by Angela Thirkell
To get an idea of why I laughed so hard at this one, read the first quote in this post. A very-British comedy of manners and errors with a liberal dose of the woes of authors.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
“You can hardly imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter—a girl brought up with the utmost care—to marry into a cloak-room, and form an alliance with a parcel?”
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Once you have read it, you will never forget the tin of pine-apple, or Uncle Podger hanging a picture. Trust me.
Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock
A thoroughly affectionate and hugely entertaining satire of small-town life, set in Canada around the turn of the 20th century. Read my review here.
Gentle Julia by Booth Tarkington
I tend to prefer Tarkington’s “serious” novels to his humor, but this one, concerning the misadventures of a young girl playing matchmaker for her lovely and much-courted aunt, honestly made me shriek with laughter. Read my review here.
Bab: A Sub-Deb by Mary Roberts Rinehart
Another non-mystery Rinehart book that’s a real hoot—told in first-person by an irrepressible teenage girl in the pre-WWI era, who wishes her family would treat her as a grown-up, is enamored by Romance with a capital R, and is firmly convinced she knows how to spell. End result: getting into the wildest scrapes and driving said family to distraction.
Kathleen by Christopher Morley
A charming short read, in which a group of Oxford students go in search of the author of a stray letter signed “Kathleen” which captivated them—a search ending in screwball comedy. Read my review here.
Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse
(Also published under the title Something New.) All I can say is that the scene on the staircase left me quite incapable of speech, or anything else besides laughter, for several minutes.
Deanna says
I haven't read any of these, so I'm going to have to add a couple to my TBR. I'm always looking for books that will make me laugh.
My TTT: http://www.anovelglimpse.com/2016/04/19/top-ten-tuesday-ten-books-that-will-make-you-laugh-or-at-least-chuckle/
Neil Waring says
I love reading P.G. Wodehouse, and have read several of his books. Best thing they are free downloads. Have not read any of the others.
Suzannah says
!!! I've only read three (maybe four?) of these! What fun! I'll have to rush off and read the others sometime.
I also love NONSENSE NOVELS by Leacock.
Abby says
Ooh, I've read a few of these, and they were funny. Especially Wodehouse. Thanks for the suggestions!
Claire (The Captive Reader) says
What a great list! I've read most of these and love them, which makes me all the more determined to try the ones I've not heard of.